May Bank Holiday Pairs

Well, the year is certainly rolling in! May already, bringing with it the annual May Day pairs match.


As per usual I fish the first lake in the pairs and was sent to draw the pegs, coming out with pegs 70 and 20, which we were happy with! On sitting down at the peg just one thing concerned me - the wind! Walking around the lake it was the windiest area of the lake, blowing right to left and then hitting the big tree's behind the lake and swirling back.


First line of attack was the pole at 16.5m in to the bay in about 15in of water, this rig was on .15 direct to an 18 Fox Series 2 to Preston 15h lakky, with the float a Nick Gilbert XTM. I also put up my 10ft Puddle Chucker to fish a small method as the wind was so bad. My second line was at 5m, using a .4gr NG Decker on .17 line to a .15 hook-link and an 18 Fox Series 2. This was in about 6ft of water. Last up was a rig for 10m to my right in the margins in about 2ft of water. This was on .18 direct to a 16 Fox Series 2 and matched to purple hydro with the float a .2gr DC5.


On the whistle (well, not quite as I was catching up with a mate who I'd not seen for a while) I fed the 5m line with half a pot of corn and hemp, while the margin received a whole pot of meat, hemp and corn. Shipping across and the wind was a bit of a hand full but it didn't take long to start getting signs of fish. On the half hour mark I got fed up of hanging on for grim death in the wind and quickly knocked up a bit of crumb for the method. I'd seen others catch in their more sheltered swims and didn't want to fall too far behind!


I had a quick try on the 5m line while waiting for the crumb to soak up the water but it was lifeless (I wasn't surprised so early) so I topped up the margin and loaded up the method and flicked it across to were I'd been fishing. It didn't take long for the tip to yank round and in four chucks over about twenty minutes I had four carp in the net for about 14lb. My thinking I had it sussed didn't last long as the next few chucks met with no response.


A brief try on the two closer pole lines wasn't met with any joy so I made the most in a lull in the wind by dropping in on the long pole. I was just toying with bringing it in and trying closer when a bite saw me playing a fish bigger than the others I'd had. After a lively fight an 8lb mirror was in the net and the day was looking much more interesting, especially when it was followed by a 5lb common next drop. Then however, the wind intervened and I couldn't hold the pole still across again.


The next hour was frustrating, I couldn't hold the pole still enough to get a bite but the fish were most definitely there, while the method seemed to make fish back away. The wind carried on picking up and got to the point where I didn't dare put the pole across (it bought down a large tree not too far away with an almighty crack!) and the fish totally vanished from across. I couldn't get a bite from either of the two lines and upped the feed in the margins in the attempt to bring it to life but I ended the match on the six carp I'd caught early. The only movement of note later in the match was when I had to get up and put my coat on as the cold north-easterly wind was making me rather cold!


On the scales I totalled 28lb 3oz for fifth on the lake, just 5oz off fourth with the two top weights coming from the two most sheltered pegs on the lake. My partner had managed a lake third and overall we managed third pair, two points behind 2nd and three points behind first, saving what had been a frustrating day where there had been fish there that I wasn't able to fish properly for. In hindsight I wished I'd bought worm to fish choppy, something that I think fish hang on to for longer and lets you fish over depth, both a help in rough conditions! Next week should be back to normal Sunday matches and will hopefully see me in to a few fish.